The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (IHREC) is Ireland’s national human rights

and equality institution. It was established under the Irish Human Rights and Equality

Commission Act 2014 with a statutory mandate to:

• Protect and promote human rights and equality.

• Encourage the development of a culture of respect for human rights, equality, and intercultural understanding in the State.

• Promote understanding and awareness of the importance of human rights and equality in the State.

• Encourage good practice in intercultural relations, promote tolerance and acceptance of diversity in the State and respect for the freedom and dignity of each person, and,

•  Work towards the elimination of human rights abuses, discrimination and prohibited conduct.

IHREC’s strategy and policy is determined independently by the fifteen members of the

Commission who are appointed by the Head of State, President Michael D. Higgins. The

diverse membership of the Commission broadly reflects the nature of Irish society.

The Director of the Commission is responsible for the leadership and management of staff

and the work of IHREC in accordance with the strategy and policies of the Commission. The

staff of the Commission currently work in six teams: Policy & Research, Strategic

Engagement, Legal, Monitoring & Compliance, Corporate Services and Office of the Director.

Permanent staff of the Commission are civil servants in the service of the State.

IHREC’s work ranges from operating at the policy level to review the effectiveness of human

rights and equality law, policy and practice in the State and within public bodies, protecting

and promoting human rights and equality within the courts system, and working with7

communities and civil society to monitor and report on people’s real-life experiences of

human rights and equality in practice. Whether addressing individual concerns, engaging with

government or public bodies on policy and practice issues or raising awareness with public

audiences on human rights and equality, our mission is to build a just and inclusive society

that protects and promotes human rights and equality in Ireland.

Our Values

The way we work in IHREC is guided by both public sector and organisational values that

inform our individual and collective behaviour and decision making. Our values are:

Non-Discrimination and Equality - We commit to supporting people who face the greatest

barriers to justice as part of human rights and equality protection for all.

Respect - We build respect and trust by valuing the contribution and initiative of everyone

within our organisation and those we work with. Respecting the trust placed in us, we conduct

our work to the highest professional standards.

Independence - We value our independence and act, where others cannot always do so, in

furtherance of human rights, equality and intercultural understanding. We take action based

on the highest quality evidence and robust decision-making.

Accountability - We are fully committed to the values of openness, transparency and

accountability to the people and to the Oireachtas.

Participation - We recognise the personal autonomy and self-determination of all rights

holders and duty bearers. We are committed to hearing and learning from others’

perspectives.

Responsive - We are responsive to opportunities to advance our mission, and we ensure that

our governance, resources, and ways of working support this approach.

Collaborative - We collaborate across and beyond the organisation so that we act promptly

and effectively.8

Role Summary

IHREC is currently at the start of a new strategic cycle from 2025-2027; the Head of Strategic

Engagement will play a key role in the implementation of this strategy by positioning IHREC

effectively with external stakeholders to achieve its stated objectives. They will lead and

manage a team which works with a range of external stakeholders at different levels and

across diverse sectors and has lead responsibility for:

 public affairs,

 communications

 public sector equality and human rights duty,

 public and civil society engagement,

 education and training,

 events,

 publications and

 general information provision.